Samuel

 Hey, 6 readers, want some inside info? I'm going to lead the discussion on Sunday, and one of my primary topics will be on why there was so much war in Judges. If you want to impress your tablemates with the depth of your Biblical knowledge,  mention these two prophecies:

1. Genesis 9:25--Noah curses Canaan, son of Ham

2. Genesis 15:12-16--God prophesies the enslavement, Exodus and return to the Promised Land, as well as why

Be sure to mention this BEFORE I present--that way, when I reference these two passages, you can just look at your tablemates and nod knowingly. That's what THEY get for not reading the blog...

Samuel bridges the gap between the end of the Age of the Judges and the establishment of the Kingdom. As we read the account of Hannah, we'll be introduced to the second of the confirmed Nazirites we'll meet in the Bible (Samson, of course, was the first) and the importance of keeping one's word. Thing about how important it was to Hannah to have this child--she wanted it so much that she was willing to dedicate him to the Lord for life. In other words, she was willing to give the child almost immediately to the Lord and not raise it herself. This is a selfless act, and one she kept as promised. 

If you reread the instructions for Nazirite vows in Numbers 6:1-21, it's evident that the these vows were intended for a specific service or time. Samson was obligated from birth (and under similar circumstances--refer back to Judges 13:1-5), and from the pleas of Hannah, she also was willing to give her son to the Lord for his lifetime. As we spend the next week or so in 1 and 2 Samuel, we'll come to see that he's a pretty neat person, as well as a very important one. And we'll get a brief respite from the war and mayhem, but fear not--we'll get back to that soon enough.

Scott